A publication of Bureau of Land Management in California Issue 670-4/17/2015- Visit us on Facebook -- Follow us on Twitter -- Share us with friends and colleagues! THIS WEEK IN NEWS.BYTES: - Discover the Desert - Discover the Coast - Headlines and Highlights - Wildlife Question of the Week - Upcoming Events If this message does not show up properly in your email, you can see it online at: http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,j7q9,bm6m,1bct,ijo3 DISCOVER THE DESERT Alabama Hills (BLM Facebook) Last Saturday, the Alabama Hills Stewardship Group, in partnership with the Bishop Field Office held the 4th annual Alabama Hills Day celebration in Lone Pine, CA. The event was designed to celebrate the iconic landscape while educating the public about the numerous ways to interact with the Alabama Hills. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,38wu,fs47,1bct,ijo3 The Desert Inspires @ Alabama Hills (BLM Youtube) Local community members share their thoughts about what makes Alabama Hills a special place. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,idf7,9n4i,1bct,ijo3 Spring Break In Barstow (Newsbytes Extra) After returning from spring break to school last week, I've heard stories from friends about their cruises to Mexico, road trips to Canada, and adventures in New York City. I suppose that Barstow, California isn't a prime spring-breaker's destination, but in the case of myself and my two classmates, Barstow was exactly where we were supposed to be. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,1fj7,9z8b,1bct,ijo3 Easter Egg Scramble (BLM Facebook) Over Easter weekend seventy OHV racers competed in the "Easter Egg Scramble" at the BLM managed Superstition OHV Area. Competitors completed three laps around a 30 mile course, while 200 spectators looked on. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,il92,99b7,1bct,ijo3 Cute Rodent, Once Thought Extinct, Going Home Next Week (KCET, 4/10/2015) An endangered species of vole that scientists once thought had gone extinct will be going through a rite of passage next week, as biologists release some of the wild voles' captive-bred progeny back into their natural desert wetland habitat. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,6oq6,k36f,1bct,ijo3 Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (BLM Facebook) Interested in working in the Imperial Sand Dunes? We are looking for motivated individuals that enjoy working with their hands and working outside! We are hiring seasonal maintenance workers and laborers for the 2015-2016 sand season. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,85dg,ew74,1bct,ijo3 RELATED:Discover the Desert (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,ehnu,aie3,1bct,ijo3 DISCOVER THE COAST Steep and Rugged, Fire Scarred, Falling Apart and Stunning (BLM Tumblr) On California's north coast, the mountains of the King Range National Conservation Area rise abruptly from the ocean. These mountains of sandstone grow (some 66 feet in the last 6,000 years) and fall from the dynamics of plate tectonics, wind, water and fire. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,h3kf,3s5c,1bct,ijo3 The Lost Coast Trail and The Man Who keeps It Wild (The North Coast Journal, 4/16/2015) The thick fog north of Black Sands Beach quickly masks the hikers I had met the day before as they pass by, heading south. Like myself, they had started the Lost Coast Trail at Mattole Beach, some 25 miles north. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,ehlm,30ed,1bct,ijo3 Its International Dark Sky Week 2015 (BLM Tumblr) Enjoy the starry skies over the California Coastal National Monument along with other BLM lands that, while not official IDA sites, offer stunning views of the Milky Way. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,ba3g,6kjr,1bct,ijo3 RELATED: Discover the Coast (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,jksk,gqng,1bct,ijo3 Feds seek input on managing Trinidad Head lighthouse (Times-Standard, 4/11/2015) The U.S. Coast Guard transferred the 144-year-old lighthouse to public ownership in 2014, with the BLM charged with managing the facility and the surrounding 13 acres. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,dw3b,djnf,1bct,ijo3 CALIFORNIA HEADLINES AND HIGHLIGHTS Nearly 650 Racers Compete in Spring Motorcycle Events (Newsbytes Extra) Hundreds of motorcycle racers hit the trails in two of the Bureau of Land Management's premier northern California off-highway vehicle areas over the weekend of April 11. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,8in0,611u,1bct,ijo3 National Conservation Lands (BLM Tumblr) Here are some stunning places on National Conservation Lands to view wildflowers. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,8788,8u8x,1bct,ijo3 Bodie Hills (BLM Tumblr) Bodie Hills, for wildflowers, wildlife and one of a kind ghost town. California Eastern Sierra region is a dramatic transition zone between the snow-capped granite spires of the Sierra Nevada. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,794w,77qw,1bct,ijo3 San Joaquin Valley (BLM Facebook) The San Joaquin Valley is not often cited for its scenic beauty, but these photos from the Hollister Field Office show that the San Joaquin Valley and the hills that surround it are filled with stunning beauty...even after the flowers have gone. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,6jow,hk3e,1bct,ijo3 Women in STEM: Lara Kobelt (BLM Tumblr) Five years ago, at just 22, I moved from Ohio to Rock Springs, Wyoming, to work for the BLM under the Chicago Botanic Garden's Conservation and Land Management Internship Program. I was a Seeds of Success Intern, so my field partner and I traveled around the field office collecting hundreds of thousands of seeds for restoration, research, and native plant materials development. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,hzhg,ictz,1bct,ijo3 Agencies Get Up To Speed On Latest Firefighting Aircraft (CBS LA, Channel 2, 4/15/2015 ) With more frequent red-flag alerts combined with Southern California's extreme drought conditions, state and federal agencies are getting up to speed on the latest firefighting aircraft. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,jfa2,3gqa,1bct,ijo3 The Marine Corps' Archaeological Treasure Trove (U.S News, 4/15/2015) Marines won't be able to use new land at Twenty nine Palms until the cache of Native American artifacts scattered below the surface are cleared out. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,3e06,3kll,1bct,ijo3 Reintroduced bill pushing to reopen Clear Creek (San Benito County Today, 4/16/2015) Congressman Sam Farr and others are reintroducing a bill attempting to reopen the federally owned Clear Creek Management Area for off-road use. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,epz9,lkja,1bct,ijo3 Red Hills Area is Home to Rare and Hardy Native Plants (Mymotherlode.com, 4/12/2015) It took almost 10 years of living in the Sierra Foothills to learn to appreciate the unique appeal of the flat, sparse, dry landscape below Sonora and Jamestown. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,jlvg,kj98,1bct,ijo3 RELATED:The Red Hills of Tuolumne County (BLM Website) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,rt2,deqo,1bct,ijo3 Council Votes to Support Conservation Policies (Victorville Daily Press, 4/15/2015) After public comments pro and con, council members unanimously approved a resolution expressing support for protections of desert lands and vistas. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,740a,c7kl,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE QUESTION OF THE WEEK How far can a blunt-nosed leopard lizard leap? a) 12 inches b) 18 inches c) 24 inches d) 36 inches ------> See answer near the end of this issue of News.bytes. UPCOMING EVENTS April 23-24: BLM Advisory Council Plans Meeting at Mother Lode Field Office (BLM News Release) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,1cne,7zbv,1bct,ijo3 April 25: The Friends of Jawbone (Jawbone.org) will be holding their 19th Annual Moose Anderson Day Clean up on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Pre-registered volunteers receive a free t-shirt, BBQ lunch, and raffle ticket. Visit Jawbone.org for more information and to register. April 25-26: BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program (BLM Facebook) Your turn is coming, California! Join BLM for a wild horse adoption at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport. Up to 40 animals will be available to adopt. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,iozy,5pf2,1bct,ijo3 May 2: The Friends of El Mirage (elmirage.org) will be holding their annual Spring Clean up of the El Mirage Open Area on May 2, 2015. Pre-registered volunteers receive a free t-shirt, BBQ Lunch, and raffle ticket. This year's event will also include a special drawing where four lucky winners will get to name four of El Mirage's resident tortoise ambassadors! Visit elmirage.org for more information and to register! May 9: BLM Desert Advisory Council to Reschedule Ridgecrest Business Meeting (BLM News Release) Due to unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled public meeting of the Desert Advisory Council scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2015 in Ridgecrest has been rescheduled for May 9, 2015 in Riverside, Calif. http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,dodq,8sgi,1bct,ijo3 WILDLIFE TRIVIA ANSWER How far can a blunt-nosed leopard lizard leap? Answer: c! Blunt-nosed leopard lizards use their speed and leaping ability to hunt prey and avoid predators. These lightning quick lizards have been known to leap as far as 24 inches! SOURCE: Blunt -nosed leopard lizard (arkive.org) http://www.elabs10.com/ct.html?ufl=0&rtr=on&s=x8pbwi,27o1f,3xn3,8ne2,hnj0,1bct,ijo3
